


Acquainted with the Night

by Fuzzball457



Series: K-Pop One Shots [1]
Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: But he's trying, Chae Hyungwon-centric, Cute, Gen, Hyungwon doesn't know what he's doing, Sickfic, Yoo Kihyun-centric, sick kihyun, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:09:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22116154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuzzball457/pseuds/Fuzzball457
Summary: Hyungwon's the last person anyone would want when they're sick. Honestly it'd be best if it was anyone but Kihyun who was sick so he could fetch the vocalist himself. But Hyungwon’s here and not anyone else and social incompetence isn’t enough of an emergency to justify waking someone.In which Kihyun is not happy to play the patient and Hyungwon has no idea how to be a caretaker. It's a soft sickfic, okay?
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon & Yoo Kihyun
Series: K-Pop One Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591903
Comments: 6
Kudos: 80





	Acquainted with the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends and fellow monbebes! This is my first work in the Monsta X fandom, though hopefully not my last. I had some fun playing around with the characterization of putting these characters in roles I don't typically see them in - hopefully it doesn't feel ooc.
> 
> This is also the beginning of a self-indulgent multifandom series of h/c, angst, etc one shots, so if you're into that sort of thing stick around! At the moment, I have tentative plans to write for MX, Stray Kids, Astro, BTS, maybe Got7. Honestly the possibilities are endless. It's not prompt/request based, but if you have an idea/character/anything at all you'd like to throw out - feel free to leave a comment and we'll see what happens. 
> 
> Title comes from the Robert Frost poem. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

The bathroom light is on when Hyungwon gets up for a glass of water. The door isn’t closed all the way and a sliver of gold sneaks out across the hallway as if reaching for him. It’s quarter past three, which honestly isn’t all that late for their usual schedules, but their last practice of the day ended at nine. Even Changkyun, resident gamer, had been in bed when Hyungwon passed the room the youngest shared with Minhyuk on his way to the kitchen.

So who?

It hardly matters, he thinks with a shake of his head. A late night piss isn’t exactly call for alarm. He gets his glass of water, taking a moment for an obligatory scowl at Jooheon’s dirty bowl soaking in the sink. No matter how much Jooheon whines that soaking makes it easier to clean, Hyungwon would rather scrub his palms raw than stare at tiny bits of uneaten rice and congealed sauce floating in cloudy water. Kihyun will pitch a fit if it’s still there when he goes to make breakfast.

There’s something that stops Hyungwon as he passes the bathroom on his way back. His body is begging for a return to bed and normally Hyungwon is the last one to delay such comforts. But something about the stillness of the air give shim pause. There’s no noise coming from inside. No water running or sleepy feet shuffling. Maybe someone left the light on?

“Hello?” he whispers, voice hoarse from sleep, as he gently nudges the door open. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’s seen one of the others naked, but a face-full of bare ass isn’t the most ideal sight at such an hour.

There’s no bare asses, but there is a person folded and tucked between the toilet and the edge of the bathtub, knees up and head down.

“Kihyun?”

Something clenches low in his gut even as Kihyun lifts a wavering hand and offers a half-assed shooing. “’m fine.” He swallows thickly. “Go back to sleep.”

“What’s going on?” Hyungwon asks, opening the door the rest of the way and burning his retinas in the full florescent glow. He’s not a quick riser, not when he only came out for a sip of water, and his mind stutters and stumbles as it tries to adjust to full light. “Why’re you on the floor?”

It’s not a big space, certainly not with enough toiletries for seven people spilling out of every drawer and shelf, but Hyungwon gets himself in front of Kihyun, crouching awkwardly. His knees pop and crack like bubble wrap on the way down, but when he gets a good look at Kihyun, it slips his mind.

Strands of Kihyun’s peach fringe stick to the sweat accumulated along his brow and his breath puffs in and out across cracked lips in an uneven little staccato pattern. Both his arms are crossed low across his stomach like his guts might burst out any moment.

“Kihyun—”

“Just a stomach bug,” he offers with a shrug. His lips twitch into something resembling a smile. “Not a big deal. Seriously, go back to bed, Hyungwon-ah.”

His first instinct is to do exactly that. His body is heavy and sore from their late night dance practice and already his fingers feel exhausted from holding the cup of water. Kihyun’s the caretaker. He’s a calm mind in a storm and the one who always knows what to do. If something’s going wrong, you do what Kihyun says because he knows what he’s doing. If Kihyun says bed is best, well Hyungwon’s body certainly isn’t one to protest.

But being sick really sucks. Being sick alone is a thousand times worse. It doesn’t seem right to leave Kihyun here, shaking and shivering in his tiny slot. He could do it, Kihyun’s all but whacking him out of the space with his constant hand shooing, and yet he finds himself settling onto the edge of the tub.

At least the toilet’s empty, he thinks, because there’s only so much his sleep-tinged mind can take at the moment.

“Here,” he offers, holding the cup out. “I got this for you.”

“Liar.”

“Yeah, I got it for me.” He shrugs, keeping the cup outstretched. There’s a tremor racing along Kihyun’s delicate fingers as he takes it and Hyungwon has half a mind not to let go, but Kihyun manages to get the thing to his mouth where he sips tentatively at it.

“Thanks,” Kihyun offers quietly. He keeps very still for a moment, likely trying to judge how the tiny bit of water will settle, before looking back up at Hyungwon. “Really, I’m fine,” he says, a small smile tugging on his abused lips. Hyungwon must be a real wreck at this if somehow Kihyun is the one comforting him. “You should go back to bed.”

“How long have you been here?” he asks instead.

Kihyun sets the cup on the ground next to him and drags a hand through his hair, the peach locks springing back in to place in its wake. “Not long. Maybe twenty minutes? Thankfully I woke up in time to make it in here. I knew that yogurt was questionable but Minhyuk swore he just bought it last week.”

Hyungwon hums sympathetically. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah, mostly. Not enough to risk going back to bed, but I’m not actively turning my guts inside out, so better than five minutes ago.”

“That’s good,” he says because he has nothing else to offer.

What are you supposed to do, Hyungwon wonders. What are you supposed to say? He’s not the caretaker sort. It’d certainly be better if…well, honestly it’d be best if it was anyone but Kihyun who was sick so he could fetch the vocalist himself, but Hoseok’s always a sympathetic back rubber and Shownu’s got a soothing voice, so they wouldn’t be a bad choice. Hyungwon’s the last person anyone would want. The last time he got sick he curled up in bed for two days and hissed at anyone who so much as touched him.

But Hyungwon’s here and they’re not and social incompetence isn’t enough of an emergency to justify waking them. 

“Is there anything else I can get you?” He means it genuinely even if Kihyun’s small smile shows how obvious Hyungwon’s uncertainty is. He’s trying, okay? It’s not that Kihyun’s a hard person to talk to, or that he’s someone Hyungwon in particular doesn’t talk with often. It’s that Hyungwon’s never had to make small take in the cramped confines of their bathroom at three in the morning.

“I’m alright,” Kihyun offers. With a yawn he lets his head fall back to lean against the side of the toilet tank. His eyes close and for the first time in a long time Hyungwon thinks he looks old. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

“I’m sure you could ask to sit out, at least for the morning.” Unbidden he reaches out and lets his hand settle along Kihyun’s hair line. Kihyun’s eyes flick open, making eye contact for a brief moment, before he lets them close again. Hyungwon scratches lightly, like one might a dozing cat, and Kihyun lets out some kind of hum.

“We can see in the morning,” Kihyun says, but Hyungwon knows the vocalist won’t be sitting out anything unless he’s physically incapable of prying himself off the bathroom floor. The industry’s standards are high but Kihyun’s standards are higher. For the band, but mostly for himself.

Hyungwon lets his hand slip down a bit to check if he can feel a fever at all, but he’s relieved to find no excess heat. Maybe it really is a small bout of food poisoning. Hopefully Kihyun will be back on his feet by the end of tomorrow. He lets his hand slide down the back of Kihyun’s head before letting it rest along his nape. It’s sweaty in a way that would normally make Hyungwon scrunch up his nose, but he instead kneads gently at the taught muscles there.

Hyungwon eyes the curve of Kihyun’s spine, pressed flat against the white tile. “Do you want to go back to bed? Or the couch at least?”

Kihyun hums in thought, but gives a tiny shake of his head, eyes still closed. He waves a hand at the toilet. “I think staying in range is probably a better idea right now.”

That brings a frown to Hyungwon’s face. Is his stomach still that tumultuous? There’s no pain along Kihyun’s face, but he is a little washed out. He can be so hard to read sometimes. It used to frustrate Hyungwon, who prefers things put straight. Say how you feel. Don’t beat around the bush with vague words or unneeded platitudes. Those first few months after debut, when they were all still trying to shape their wounds and wishes into a functioning team—back then Kihyun seemed so unreachable at times that Hyungwon all but gave up on any meaningful closeness between them. It’s easier now to tell when Kihyun’s smile is genuine or empty, but he still keeps his worries close to his heart. Hyungwon knows he’s not the only one who wishes the peach-haired vocalist would accept help as easily as he gives it.

“Don’t be stubborn,” Hyungwon scolds, tugging at Kihyun’s sleeve. “At least come out of the corner.”

There’s a protest on Kihyun’s lips, but Hyungwan stares him down until he swallows it back. He shuffles out slowly, palms flat on the ground like it might go out from under him any moment. With one hand on Kihyun’s back and one around his bicep, Hyungwon guides him out of his nook. Kihyun’s presence is so large it fills a room easily, but at the end of the day his body is small and it fits well under Hyungwon’s arm as he tucks Kihyun along his side. If there’s one thing Hyungwon can appreciate about Kihyun it’s the quiet way he gives and receives physical contact. It’s not unlike Hyungwon himself, the way he leans on another member’s shoulder or rests a hand on someone’s knee during an interview. It’s not a demanding puppy love, but it’s there nonetheless, stable and constant. Hopefully Kihyun is able to draw similar comforts from Hyungwon’s presence.

“Let me know if this starts to bother your shoulder,” Kihyun says, letting his head rest on Hyungwon’s shoulder.

Hyungwon barely stops himself from scoffing. “Worry about yourself,” he instructs.

Kihyun’s reply is even, unbothered by Hyungwon’s flat response. “I don’t want you to be sore tomorrow. We have dance practice in the afternoon.”

Kihyun lets out a contented hum as he burrows closer to Hyungwon and Hyungwon’s response dies in his throat. Kihyun’s hair tickles along his neck and he turns just enough to let his nose dip in. The scent of his coconut shampoo is faint but present and the urge to pull Kihyun in tighter twitches in his fingers.

“You don’t have to be on top of it all the time,” Hyungwon mumbles, loathe to break the peace, but finding it impossible to bite the thought back. He thinks Kihyun’s mind must be a terribly busy place, full of seven different schedules and preferences and reminders of when to wake people up and when to start dinner. Just the thought is enough to send Hyungwon’s mind into overload. How Kihyun manages it all, on top of his own fierce perfectionist streak in regards to his own singing and dancing, without wanting to crawl under the nearest bed is beyond comprehension.

“I like it,” Kihyun replies, warm breath fanning across Hyungwon’s neck. “I like knowing where everybody is and how they’re dong. It makes me feel in control.”

“I see,” he replies softly even though being in control is just about the last thing Hyungwon would ever want. Just tell him where to be and what to do, let him sleep in between, and he’s golden. “Still though, it’s okay to let someone else take the wheel every now and then.” He knows it hard for someone like Kihyun to fathom not wanting to be in control, even harder than it is for Hyungwon to fathom finding peace in having control, but Kihyun’s a surprisingly good listener when he can calm his own mind for a minute. And the small vocalist tucked alongside Hyungwon, eyes closed and fingers curled into Hyungwon’s shirt is nothing if not calm. It’s a good moment to impart the wisdom of a life of sloth. “Let us help you out, yeah?” There’s only a handful of people in the entire world for whom Hyungwon would offer to take on something burdensome, but Kihyun is certainly on the list. A little less sleep or a little less introverted peace of mind are a small price to pay to ease the weight on his members’ shoulders.

“Yeah,” Kihyun agrees, voice barely floating out on an exhale. He must be close to sleep to offer a reply without a ‘but’.

“We can talk more tomorrow,” he whispers, just in case any part of Kihyun is fighting for consciousness for Hyungwon’s sake. Kihyun’s hair is soft and bouncy as Hyungwon lets his long fingers card through it.

It’s not so bad being on this side of things, he thinks. There are certainly those better at playing caretaker than him, but Kihyun is forgivingly pliant and there’s something warm and satisfied lacing Hyungwon’s chest as he listens to Kihyun’s gentle breathing. Hyungwon did that. Maybe he didn’t mop up vomit or carry someone on his back for miles, but he brought a little comfort to his friend. Eased a hard time, maybe.

Modeling was more cutthroat than idol life. It doesn’t come naturally, this team life, and often Hyungwon feels subpar. He’s just not the doting sort. He likes buying food for the members though, and visiting them when their schedules diverge. And by now everyone knows plopping into Hyungwon’s bed when he’s napping is a sure fire way to get some long-limbed koala cuddles. It’s not a noisy affection, but he hopes they see it for what it is. Besides, he thinks as he glances once more at the crown of Kihyun’s head, he’s got good role models for how to be a friend.

“Hyungwon?”

Hyungwon looks up at the quiet voice. Hyunwoo is squinting at him from the doorway, trying to adjust to the light. He’s only wearing boxers and his hair is sticking up in every direction.

“You didn’t come back to bed. Is everything alright?” He looks barely coherent but Hyungwon can see him clicking into leader mode, trying to assess the situation and see if he needs to get involved.

“Kihyun wasn’t feeling well, but I think he’s okay now.” Hyunwoo rubs a hand along the back of his neck and Hyungwon can see he too finds it weird for Hyungwon to be the one staying up in the middle of the night with a sick friend. _Why didn’t you come get me?_ is written plain across his face even though he’s at least as awkward as Hyungwon and then some. Silent though he may be, Hyungwoo is a strong pillar of support and thankfully Kihyun didn’t need to be carried anywhere because then Hyungwon wouldn’t have stood a chance. But he thinks he did alright, given the situation.

“Alright,” Hyunwoo agrees, mashing his face with a large hand as he tries to bring himself to full consciousness. “Do you need help moving him? I can put him in bed so you can get some rest.”

His first thought is no. He’s camped himself out here in their small bathroom with Kihyun’s sleeping form pressed against his side. It’s not ideal but he’s committed himself to being a good friend tonight. But then he becomes a little more aware of the way the bathtub is pressed against his spine and how his only choice for napping will be on top of Kihyun’s head, which will surely give them both a crick tomorrow.

As much as he wants to stay here and make a stand about his capabilities as a caretaker, he knows he needs to be reasonable about this. Kihyun will scold him seven ways to Sunday if Hyungwon actually sleeps here and wakes up with an aching body tomorrow. No need to be a martyr. Didn’t he just advise Kihyun on the benefits of asking for help?

“Thanks.” Without a second thought, Hyunwoo crouches down and Hyungwon nudges Kihyun into place on his back. Kihyun and Hoseok both have rooms to themselves so there’s no roommate to disturb as they get Kihyun settled into bed. Hyungwon fetches a glass of water and an empty trashcan to leave by his bedside, just in case.

Kihyun’s hand flutters out as Hyungwon pulls the covers up over him.

“Mm, thanks,” he mumbles, barely this side of coherent.

“Don’t mention it. Get some sleep.”

Jooheon is snoring loudly when Hyungwon returns to the room they share with Hyunwoo. It’s never bothered him having two roommates while Kihyun and Hoseok get their own room and Changkyun and Minhuk only have to split their space two ways. The three of them work well together. Jooheon spends most of his free time at the studio or out with one of the members anyway, and he’s always thoughtful when he returns late after the others are asleep. Hyunwoo is quiet and tidy but he leaves Hyungwon’s stuff alone. The silence is always companionable when they’re both in bed on their phones or computers.

Hyunwoo is already is bed when Hyungwon slips under the covers after finally getting his drink of water. He’s not asleep though, surely staying awake to ensure Hyungwon returned to bed properly this time.

“Hyungwon?”

“Hm?”

Hyunwoo doesn’t say anything for a brief moment and Hyungwon turns to peer over his shoulder. He can barely make out their leader’s form, propped up on one elbow in bed. “You did a good job tonight taking care of Kihyun.”

Hyungwon can’t help but smile, even knowing no one can see it in the darkness. He did do a good job, didn’t he?

“Thanks,” he whispers before settling in to finally get back to sleep. The quiet lull of his mind assures him it won’t be long.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :) If you enjoyed or you're just feeling generous, please leave a comment! They really brighten my day. Have a great week!
> 
> As I mentioned above this is the beginning of a series of h/c, angsty one-shots so subscribe to the series if you're interested and feel free to leave a comment if there's something you'd like to see (again, no promises because I have like -34 hrs of free time to write)


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